Innovation rewarded with national teaching awards

Two Griffith University academics have received prestigious national awards that honour significant contributions to student learning.

Queensland Conservatorium Professor Gemma Careyand Professor Mark Brimble, Griffith Business School, have been recognisedamongAustralia’s best university teachers,

Senator Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training, presented the Australian Awards for University Teaching at a gala ceremony in Canberra last night.

Professor Carey won the Award for Teaching Excellence in Humanities and the Arts, worth $25,000.

“It is an enormous honour and very humbling,” she said.

“The importance of awards like this can’t be overstated — they provide us with opportunities to do further work, and put value on the work that we do.”

Professor Carey is an alumnus of the Queensland Conservatorium, where she originally studied piano.

While performing drew her to the Conservatorium , teaching has become her passion.

Professor Gemma Carey encourages a student with their performance
Professor Gemma Carey encourages a student with their performance

“This award acknowledges and recognises the importance of teaching as a profession, and that is truly affirming and encouraging,” she said.

“This award is shared with my colleagues and students at the Conservatorium, who continually inspire, motivate and challenge me.”

Professor Carey has forged a reputation as one of Australia’s foremost authorities in performance pedagogy, curriculum, and learning and teaching.

She has developed innovative teaching techniques at the undergraduate and postgraduate level and for community teachers.

Professor Carey also has a leadership role on one of Europe’s peak music education bodies, Innovative Conservatoires.

Professor Carey was presented with a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning earlier this year, for transforming the teaching and assessment of music pedagogy at a national and international level.

However, despite the accolades, Professor Carey won’t be resting on her laurels.

“One of the greatest challenges for teachers is to take that leap of faith and put your own practices and beliefs under scrutiny,” she said.

“You have to be willing to constantly re-evaluate your own teaching practice, not just keep doing things the way they have always been done.”

Award for Professor Mark Brimble

Mark Brimble
Mark Brimble

Professor Mark Brimble is Discipline Head of Finance and Financial Planning atthe Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics, andDirector of the Centre for Financial Independence and Education.

Hereceived an AAUT Teaching Excellence Award in the Law, Economics, Business and Related Studies category, for Strategic leadership of the financial advice profession and the emerging discipline of finance and financial planning in Australia.

Professor Brimble, from the Griffith Business School,has led moves towards improved and more professional standards of service in the industry in recent years.

“Industry employees are keen to build their professional profile and embrace this move and its promise,” he said.

Professor Brimble also received an AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning earlier this year.